Springer International Publishing has published a book: Value Networks in Manufacturing. Sustainability and Performance Excellence. This is based on the SustainValue results and has been authored by the project research group members. The book is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27799-8

The SustainValue (Sustainable Value Creation in Manufacturing Networks) project was a small-scale collaborative project within the EU 7th framework programme. This three year project started April 1, 2011 and had a total budget of 4 million Euro of which the funding from the European Commission was 2.8 million Euro. The overall aim of the project was to develop industrial models, solutions and performance standards for new sustainable and more performing production and service networks.

The SustainValue project has generated several new methods and tools for developing sustainable manufacturing networks. These include the following:

Sustainability governance model addresses the rules, processes, metrics and organisational structures needed for effective planning, decision making, steering and control. The SustainValue governance model illustrates the sustainability governance within a value network as a process that guides the activities of all involved actors towards sustainable development and performance over product life cycle. The model process integrates i) requirements and commitment of stakeholders within a business ecosystem as well as ii) business models and self-interest of value network companies.

Sustainable business modelling (SBM) process is an overarching approach, which considers a wide set of stakeholders across the business network to deliver sustainable value. The SBM process is accompanied by a portfolio of tools and methods that will assist in the design of sustainable business models. The process and tools focus on analysis and design of sustainable business models for company and network level change whilst identifying and mapping various forms of value and its exchanges to deliver sustainability. The tools have been identified and/or specifically designed to focus on generating business model innovation for sustainability from a network perspective. Companies can be at various stages of sustainable business modelling so using the process and toolset will rely on the preference of the participants, the type of the organisation, scope of operations, resource availability (human and financial), scale and size and the position on sustainability.

Development framework for sustainable solutions combines life-cycle perspective with different functional dimensions. Several tools can be used at different functions and at different stages of the life-cycle. To support tool selection a guideline of appropriate tools has been developed. The framework supports companies in their sustainable development process and creates transparency of the different tasks. The framework can be used in companies as a tool itself to illustrate their own processes, interfaces, gates and communication channels. At the same time weaknesses and inefficiencies in their processes are revealed.

Sustainability performance framework is a three-fold approach to the measurement and management of sustainability performance. The framework consists of three interlinked principal components: network conditions, internal structural elements, and outcomes. Sustainability performance assessment consists of two different assessment procedures: one based on metrics and the other one based on maturity measures. The outcomes are assessed based on triple bottom line KPIs. Network conditions and structural elements are assessed based on maturity of the different areas.